Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio, by Peg Kehret

When children's author Peg Kehret was 12 years old, she was stricken with an illness called polio that left her temporarily paralyzed. Polio is a highly contagious disease that most people are now vaccinated against. But in 1949, young Peg was one of the 42,000 cases reported in the United States. One morning when she woke up, Peg had trouble moving her legs, and her back hurt. Before she knew it, she was unable to speak and even breathe. She was put in a special hospital with other children who had polio, and her long fight for life and health began. Read about Peg's journey and even what she deals with today with post-polio syndrome. The painful process of healing during her teen years left lasting impressions on this writer that are shared in a very readable way. One of our fifth grade teachers read this book out loud to her class, and they all thought it was a fabulous story and a great way to read about a part of our history that affected many children and adults. Peg Kehret is the author of many exciting books for older readers. Reviewed by Mrs. Bailey from Okte

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